Portsmouth VA

Portsmouth VA docked near Olde Town...great place
Buddy Boat Cutter Loose, Island Spirit, and Team Leader Catspaw

Arriving Portsmouth VA, from Great Bridge and the ICW, we have reached ICW mile marker 001. That means that we have now completed the Intracoastal Waterway from Virginia to Florida into the Keys and up the west coast of Florida to Punda Gorda. We are feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride as we complete this first year of full-time cruising, living aboard our Island Packet 35.

Here in Portsmouth, VA, we always take a few days and enjoy the Olde Towne with great restaurants, pubs, bakeries and movie theater. We rode the paddle wheel ferry over to the Norfolk side of the Elizabeth River at Watersides and walked to the mall where we were overwhelmed by the USA marketing machine. We bought nothing....because we need nothing...yet it was still fun to act like you were shopping for something that you really didn't need. Cruising does change your perspective on what is really needed, and this trip into an upscale mega mall reminded us of just how much we have been changed by this year afloat.

The final run NORTH up the Chesapeake Bay

The weather turned on us as a low pressure built off the coast of Carolina and kicked up N and NE winds of 20+ knots. The course up the Chesapeake Bay is due North. So, with a North or Northeast wind of 20-25 knots, the seas come up and we really did not want to bash into that for 150 miles.

With that situation, we simply remained at dock for 4 days in Portsmouth, waiting for the winds to move to the East which they will do tomorrow, Monday. So we will depart for our final push up the Bay which we plan in 2 long 75 mile days or 3 50 mile days. Either way, we will be back "HOME" in Rock Hall, MD by mid week. The journey's end is in sight.....and what a truly wonderful trip it has been....


Photos of Portsmouth

Radeen at Great Bridge Lock

Overview of a loaded barge at dock with a crane off loading gravel
Check out the scale of this photo...then look at next picture close up!

'HEY BOSS.....This is going to take a while!"
I wonder how long it takes to off load a barge of gravel one scoop at a time?!

Railroad Bridge and Gilmerton Lift Bridge arriving Norfolk VA

The harbor is large, commercial and so busy, very interesting section

Our Portsmouth VA docking location along the city wall with Cutter Loose & Catspaw

Patrica on Cutter Loose prepared a beautiful french toast breakfast.

Coconut Bread from Hope Town, Bahamas, saved for this day...
Thank you Patricia and Eric, you guys are the fleet's best chefs!

Thank you Portsmouth VA for your wonderful hospitality and great Olde Town historic section. We sincerely appreciate this city....

ICW NC-VA

Sunrise entering the Pungo River Canal 

Traveling north from Beaufort NC and up to Oriental, NC then on through the Pungo River Canal and into the Albemarle Sound was another very interesting and winding section of the waterway. Cypress swamps of the Pungo River Canal and open water sailing on, the Neuse River and Albemarle Sound make this one of the most enjoyable sections. We ran 65 miles from Alligator River to Great Bridge Lock, on the Virginia Cut side.







We usually run up to Elizabeth City and the Dismal Swamp, but the draw of the wonderful Mexican restaurant, El TORO LOCO, at Great Bridge was too much to pass up so we came north on the Virginia Cut. Carey, on SP CATSPAW, our team leader led us to the FREE dock just north of the Great Bridge lift bridge. We were docked just after the 1700 bridge opening and off to the Mexican restaurant by 1800 hrs!

We will press on a short day today, making Portsmouth and hopefully the High Street Ferry Basin as we need to wait out the 15-20 knots of NE winds that will have the Chesapeake Bay kicked up with 3-4 foot waves! Looks like it will be a few days in Portsmouth and Norfolk, VA....not a bad place to wait out some weather!

Photos from this section of the ICW-NC

Salt Spray on Neuse River after washing and hand drying the boat! 

Fishing docks and fuel docks

Tannin stained waters of the Pungo Canal

Cypress Swamp of the Pungo River Canal

"Mosey," a handmade welded yacht passes us on Alligator River

Tugboat named ANGER MANAGEMENT pushing a crane to Norfolk at 4 knots.
Pushing at only 4 knots?  I, too, would need Anger Management!

Cernterville swing bridge, Virginia Cut

Free DOCK at Great Bridge on the north side
NOTE: Mosey, the yacht that passed us is here also....she is hand built!

OK....time to relax after long days and enjoy Portsmouth, VA!

Beaufort-Cape Lookout

Patricia and Kate with the Doodles

Arriving Beaufort, NC we reconnected with some of the greatest people we have ever met, fellow Island Packet Owners, Greg and Kate, whom we count as family. We have been targeting this date all the way from Vero Beach, Fl and we MADE IT...and we had a great visit with a wonderful meal on the waterfront. Greg and Kate own IP350 Ei'Lean and they are also avid "Road Warriors" as they hit the road with their 37' fifth wheel and diesel truck. It was great to catch up with them before they depart on this year's Arizona out west trip. You can follow their adventure blog here...

Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Lighthouse Keeper's Home

The weather was perfect for making a side trip 12 miles southeast to Cape Lookout where we anchored out with buddy boat IP460 Cutter Loose. We enjoyed exploring the lighthouse keeper's home, the ocean beaches and the beautiful Cape Lookout Bight. It was beautiful and surprisingly un-crowded for a lovely Saturday.

IP460 Cutter Loose arriving River Dunes, NC

After one day at Cape Lookout, which was not enough, we pressed on north to arrive at River Dunes, a most beautiful resort marina. Here we re-connected with our Team Leader, Carey on SP Cruiser Catspaw. It was great to get back together again as we have shared New England to Abacos together and now we will run to the Chesapeake.







The interesting aspect to running the ICW is the fact that you keep running into people you have met along the way. You get ahead of someone and then take a few days off, then they pass you and you meet up again in another harbor. It is that way with the 40' Beneteau GOOSE BUMPS, with Mike and Barb from Stuart FL. We first met them in Man-O-War Abacos, then on a cocktail dinghy drift in Marsh Harbor and here they are in River Dunes, running for the Chesapeake, too.

Docked at River Dunes

River Dunes Clubhouse and floating docks...beautiful

Hot tub and pool overlooks our dock 

Patricia, Kate and Radeen enjoying Champagne

Crowded day at Cape Lookout, NC beach

Cape Lookout Lighthouse. Black Diamonds point North/South, White Diamonds point East/West
The paintings are called the DAY MARK to identify each lighthouse during the day from sea!

 It is a small world out here, with everyone looking out for each other, so helpful and friendly. Cruising is a wonderful life....